Sara Minami

Sara Minami
南 沙良
Minami at the 37th Tokyo International Film Festival in 2024
Born (2002-06-11) June 11, 2002 (age 24)
Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
Occupations
  • Actress
  • model
Years active2014–present
HometownTokyo
AgentLesPros Entertainment
Height160 cm (5 ft 3 in)

Sara Minami (南 沙良, Minami Sara; born June 11, 2002) is a Japanese actress and model under LesPros Entertainment.

She won the 18th Nicola Model Audition Grand Prix. She is a former exclusive model for the fashion magazine Nicola.

Career

In 2014, she won the 18th Nicola Model Audition Grand Prix. In October of the same year, she became an exclusive model for the fashion magazine nicola.

In 2017, she made her debut as an actress in the movie Dear Etranger. She was nominated for the 60th Blue Ribbon Awards for Newcomers for her appearance in the film, but missed her award. In the same year, she starred in the music video for Rebecca's new song, Koini Ochitara.

In 2018, she made her movie debut starring in the movie Shino Can't Say Her Name. She played the role of a high school girl with stuttering, and showed impressing acting in the scene where she cried lamenting with a runny nose. Her performance in the film was rated highly, and along with double-starring Aju Makita, the two were awarded the 43rd Hochi Film Award for Best Newcomer and the 33rd Takasaki Film Festival Best New Actress Award. Additionally, Minami was awarded the 61st Blue Ribbon Award and 28th Japanese Movie Critics Award for New Actress. In September, she was appointed as the new image character for Pocky and made her first appearance in the commercials.

In 2019, she made her first appearance in a TV drama in Cocoa broadcast by Fuji TV on January 4, 2019. In March of the same year, she ended her contract as an exclusive model for nicola. She challenged jidaigeki historical drama for the first time in Iwane: Sword of Serenity released in May of the same year.

In 2021, she starred in the TV drama series Dragon Zakura broadcast on TBS.

In 2022, she acted in the NHK taiga drama The 13 Lords of the Shogun as Ohime, the daughter of Minamoto no Yoritomo and Hōjō Masako. She also played the main character in the horror movie The Good Father.

In 2023, she played the main character Sawako Kuronuma in the TV Tokyo adaptation of Kimi ni Todoke.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2017 Dear Etranger Kaoru Tanaka
2018 Shino Can't Say Her Name Shino Ōshima Lead role
Mugen Foundation Mirai
2019 21st Century Girl Anthology film
Iwane: Sword of Serenity Iyo Sakazaki
2020 Momi's House Ayaka Honda Lead role
2021 The Sun Stands Still Shiori Kikuchi
Zokki Kyōko Matsubara
Ride or Die Young Rei Nagasawa
2022 The Good Father Hana Kubo Lead role
To Be Killed by a High School Girl Maho Sasaki
2025 Love Doesn't Matter to Me Hiiro Miyata Lead role
Echoes of Motherhood
2026 All Greens Hidemi Boku Lead role
Mag Mag Sanae Lead role
Road to Vendetta Kumo Hong Kong-Japanese film
Magical Secret Tour Mayu
Grotesqqque Stella (voice) Anthology film
2027 Kaiji 4 Taeko Yuki
The Tiger and Her Wings: The Movie Haruka Minami

Television

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2021 Dragon Sakura 2 Nao Hayase
2022 The 13 Lords of the Shogun Ōhime Taiga drama
2023 Kimi ni Todoke Sawako Kuronuma Lead role
Themis's Law School Classroom Yukino Terui
2024 Dear Radiance Daini no Sanmi Taiga drama

Japanese dub

Year Title Role Dub for Notes Ref.
2023 Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves Doric Sophia Lillis

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Work(s) Result Ref.
2018 43rd Hochi Film Awards Best New Artist Shino Can't Say Her Name Won
2019 61st Blue Ribbon Awards Best Newcomer Won
2026 25th New York Asian Film Festival Screen International Rising Star Asia Award Magical Secret Tour Won

References

  1. ↑ 南沙良、秋田汐梨らニコモ7人が涙の卒業式「本当にありがとうございました！」. Oricon News (in Japanese). March 28, 2019. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 "Sara Minami", nicolanet. Shinchousha. Archived from the original from May 2, 2018.
  3. ↑ 『nicola』モデル・南沙良、女優デビュー 映画『幼な子われらに生まれ』異例抜てき. Oricon News (in Japanese). February 5, 2019. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 新人賞の南沙良、特技は号泣?「普段からよく泣きます」／ブルーリボン賞. Sankei Sports (in Japanese). January 21, 2019. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  5. ↑ レベッカ17年ぶりの新曲MV主演に、15歳の新人女優・南沙良が大抜擢. Deview (in Japanese). Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  6. 1 2 押見修造の実体験漫画が映画化決定！南沙良＆蒔田彩珠W主演で18年7月公開: 映画ニュース. Eiga.com (in Japanese). Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  7. 1 2 南沙良 新人賞「普段から凄く泣くんです」、難役を好演. Sports Nippon (in Japanese). Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  8. ↑ 表彰-報知映画賞. The Hochi Shimbun (in Japanese). Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  9. ↑ 第３３回高崎映画祭受賞者発表. Takasaki Shimbun (in Japanese). Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  10. ↑ 日本映画批評家大賞 第28回受賞作品. Japanese Movie Critics Award (in Japanese). Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  11. ↑ 南沙良、ポッキーの新イメージキャラクターに抜てき CM初出演に「すごく緊張…」. Oricon News (in Japanese). September 26, 2019. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  12. ↑ 南沙良、第30回フジテレビヤングシナリオ大賞「ココア」でドラマデビュー！ : 映画ニュース. Eiga.com (in Japanese). Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  13. 1 2 南沙良：ポッキーCMで話題の16歳美少女が時代劇初挑戦 「居眠り磐音」で松坂桃李の妹役. Mantan Web (in Japanese). November 28, 2018. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  14. 1 2 南沙良「ドラゴン桜」生徒役 一番"普通"で一番難しい役 ブレーク必至の登竜門/デイリースポーツ online. Daily Sports Online (in Japanese). Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  15. ↑ 『ドラゴン桜』令和版"東大クラス"キャスト第1弾発表 "イマドキ女子役"南沙良、民放連ドラ初出演. Oricon News (in Japanese). Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  16. 1 2 【鎌倉殿の13人】南沙良、大河ドラマ初出演「不安よりも期待の方が大きくなっています」. Oricon News (in Japanese). November 17, 2020. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  17. 1 2 お母さんじゃない…南沙良主演「この子は邪悪」公開、大西流星や桜井ユキ、玉木宏も参加. Eiga Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
  18. 1 2 『君に届け』、南沙良×鈴鹿央士で実写ドラマ化 Netflixとテレビ東京が共同制作. Crank-in! (in Japanese). September 7, 2022. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
  19. ↑ 幼な子われらに生まれ. Eiga.com (in Japanese). Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  20. ↑ 無限ファンデーション. Eiga.com (in Japanese). Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  21. ↑ 21世紀の女の子. Eiga.com (in Japanese). Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  22. ↑ もみの家. Eiga.com (in Japanese). Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  23. ↑ 太陽は動かない. Eiga.com (in Japanese). Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  24. ↑ ゾッキ. Eiga.com (in Japanese). Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  25. ↑ Lee, Maggie (April 15, 2021). "'Ride or Die' Review: Miles Ahead of Japan's Stereotypical LGBTQ Films". Variety. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
  26. ↑ 田中圭主演『女子高生に殺されたい』に南沙良、細田佳央太ら出演 ティザービジュアルも. Real Sound (in Japanese). January 12, 2022. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  27. ↑ 愛されなくても別に. Eiga.com (in Japanese). Retrieved March 7, 2025.
  28. ↑ "Echoes of Motherhood". Tokyo International Film Festival. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  29. ↑ 万事快調 オール・グリーンズ. Eiga.com (in Japanese). Retrieved July 29, 2025.
  30. ↑ "Mag Mag". Hawaiʻi International Film Festival. Retrieved September 28, 2025.
  31. ↑ 南沙良が香港映画のヒロイン役に! 本格アクション挑戦、竹中直人・斎藤工らも参加. Eiga Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. August 22, 2025. Retrieved August 22, 2025.
  32. ↑ マジカル・シークレット・ツアー. Eiga.com (in Japanese). Retrieved January 29, 2026.
  33. ↑ Mateo, Alex (July 27, 2026). "CloverWorks' Omnibus Anime Film Grotesqqque Casts Akio Ōtsuka". Anime News Network. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  34. ↑ カイジ 人生リベンジゲーム. Eiga.com (in Japanese). Retrieved July 21, 2026.
  35. ↑ 劇場版 虎に翼. Eiga.com (in Japanese). Retrieved August 22, 2026.
  36. ↑ 北川景子主演「女神の教室」に南沙良、高橋文哉、前田旺志郎、前田拳太郎、河村花. Eiga Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  37. ↑ 「光る君へ」に南沙良、泉里香、片岡千之助が出演 伊藤健太郎はオリジナルキャラに. Eiga Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  38. ↑ 南沙良、『ダンジョンズ＆ドラゴンズ』で吹き替え初挑戦 自然の化身・ドリック役に. Real Sound (in Japanese). January 19, 2023. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  39. ↑ 【報知映画賞】新人賞に16歳コンビの南沙良＆蒔田彩珠がダブル受賞. Sports Hochi (in Japanese). November 28, 2018. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
  40. ↑ 南沙良がブルーリボン賞新人賞に輝き「不思議な気持ち」、私生活での変化も明かす. Eiga Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
  41. ↑ 南沙良、ニューヨーク・アジアン映画祭「ライジング・スター賞」受賞 『マジカル・シークレット・ツアー』国際プレミア決定. Oricon News (in Japanese). July 4, 2026. Retrieved July 5, 2026.